Final Scope

Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS), also known as real-time traffic control systems, have been used since the early 1980s. Although there are at least 25 ATCS deployments in the US, these systems may not be well understood by many traffic signal practitioners in the country. The objective of ATCS is to provide signal timing that effectively responds to changing traffic conditions.  This study will provide practitioners and decision makers the following:

·         Identify ATCS in use throughout the world and the agencies that are using them

·         Identify the benefits that have been achieved for the traveling public through various ATCS implementations

·         Highlight the functionalities and key features of these systems including any major differences

·         Compare the implications for operating agencies in terms of budget, staffing and system operating requirements of adopting various ATCS

As a minimum, the following deployed ATCS should be considered:  SCOOT, SCATS, RHODES, OPAC, ACS-Lite, and LA ATCS.  The principal investigator should also identity other deployed systems not listed here.  Emerging systems may also be identified.

To synthesize the state of practice, the principal investigator will review applicable literature and interview a select number of small, medium, and large jurisdiction ATCS practitioners to perform a critical assessment of information gathered. 

The following are candidate issues that should be addressed with ATCS users and possibly vendors:

·         Specifics of ATCS system installation (e.g., arterial or network, subsystems and number of intersections) and characteristics of the agency (e.g., state v. local agency, annual traffic budget, expertise of staff, geographic region)

·         Methodologies – working principles and objectives of ATCS (i.e., how does it work), performance measures, and their strengths and weaknesses (e.g, how well does it handle emergency vehicles, railroad, transit and pedestrians; how well it works on arterial roads v. networks). 

·         System Architecture -- detection, communications, hardware, software, integration with other traffic management systems (including legacy systems)

·         Detection – quantity, configuration, type, and reliability of the systems with malfunctioning detectors

·         Institutional issues – maintenance requirements, staffing expertise, training, management, public perception, and availability/quality of tech support (contractor or in-house)

·         Deployment issues – licensing requirements, case-specific problems, communications, hardware, and software

·         Implementation benefits and costs – improvement in traffic operations, reduction in signal retiming efforts, installation costs, operating and maintenance costs, other benefits.

The consultant is encouraged to include other relevant issues.

Information Sources (Partial):

The TRB Traffic Signal Systems Committee workshops on adaptive control- 

    http://www.signalsystems.org.vt.edu/documents.html 

ITE

Los Angeles ATSAC; San Francisco

Abdel-Rahim, A., Taylor, W.C., and Bangia, A. (1998). “The Impact of SCATS on Travel Time and Delay.” Paper prepared for the 8th ITS America Annual Meeting, Detroit Michigan.

Boillot, F., Blossville, J. M., Lesory, J. B., Motyka, V., Papageorgiou, M., and Sellam, S. (1992). “Optimal signal control of urban traffic networks.” Paper presented at the IEE Conference on Road Traffic Monitoring and Control at Stevenage, England, 75-79.

Chilukuri, B.R., Perrin, J., and Martin, P. T. (2004). “SCOOT and Incidents: Performance Evaluation in Simulated Environment.” Transportation Research Record 1867, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 224-232

Fehon, K. (2005). “North American Development of Adaptive Traffic Control Signal System. ” Paper presented at Annual ITE Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, 2005. Web site: http://www.dksassociates.com/papers/AB05H13.pdf Accessed: October, 2005.

Gartner, N. H. (1983). “OPAC: A Demand Responsive Strategy for Traffic Signal Control.” Transportation Research Record 906, Transportation research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 75-81.

Ghamann, R., D. Gettman and S. Shelby (2004) “ACS Lite Project Overview” TRB Adaptive Traffic Signal Control Workshop, Washington, D.C., January 11, 2004.

Hansen, B. G. and Martin, P.T. (1999). “Online Testing of SCOOT Using CORSIM: Development of a CORSIM Run-Time Extension.” Report No. UTL- 1198-017, University of Utah Traffic Laboratory, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Head, K.L., Mirchandani, P. B., and Shepherd, D. (1992). “A hierarchical framework for real- time traffic control.” Transportation Research Record 1360, Transportation research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.

Hu, K. (2000). “LADOT's adaptive traffic control system.” Paper presented at the Workshop on Adaptive Signal Control Systems, 79th Annual Meeting, Transportation Research Board, D.C.

Hunt, P.B., Robertson, D. I., Bretherton, R.D., and Winton, R.I. (1981). “SCOOT – a Traffic Responsive Method of Coordinating Signals.” Laboratory Report 1014, Transport and Road Research Lab, Crowthorne, Berkshire, U.K.

Jayakrishnan, R., Mattingly, S. P., and McNally, M. G. (2001). “Performance Study of SCOOT Traffic Control System with Non-ideal Detectorization: Field Operational Test in the City of Anaheim.” Paper presented at the 80th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C.

Kergaye, C., Stevanovic, A.Z., Martin, P.T. (2008) “An Evaluation of SCOOT and SCATS through Microsimulation”. Accepted for presentation at 10th International Conference on Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation, Athens, Greece, May 2008.

Khoudour, L., Lesort, J.B., and Farges, J.L. (1991). “PRODYN - Three years of trials in the ZELT Experimental Zone.” Recherché - Transports - Securite, English Issue, No. 6. Special Traffic Management, 89-98.

Lowrie, P.R. (1982). “The Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System – Principles, Methodology, Algorithms.” In Proceedings of International Conference on Road Traffic Signaling, Institution of Electrical Engineers, London, U.K., 67-70.

Luk, J., Sims, A., and Lowrie, P. (1983). “Evaluating Four Methods of Area Traffic Control – The Parramatta Experiment.” Australian Journal of Instrumentation & Control, Vol. 39, No. 4, Australian Road Research Board, Vermont South, Australia, 75-77.

Luyanda, F., Gettman, D., Head, L., Shelby, S., Bullock, D., and Mirchandani, P. (2003). “ACS-Lite Algorithmic Architecture – Applying Adaptive Control System Technology to Closed-Loop Traffic Signal Control Systems.” Transportation Research Record 1856, Transportation research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 175-184.

Martin and Disegni (2002) “TRB Traffic Signals Committee, Adaptive Traffic Signals Control Systems Survey”, Final Report UTL-(07/02)-(57) University of Utah Traffic Laboratory, August 2002.

Mauro, V., and DiTaranto, C. (1990). “UTOPIA.” Control, Computers, Communications in Transportation: Selected Papers from the IFAC Symposium, Pergamon Press, 245 – 252.

Mazzamatti, M.V., Netto, D. V. V. F., Villanova, L. M., and Ming, S. H. (1998). “Benefits gained by responsive and adaptive systems in São Paulo.” Presented at the IEE Road Transport and Information Control Conference, Publication No. 454. 21-23 April, London, UK.

Mirchandani, P.B. and Head, K. L. (2001). “RHODES: A Real- Time Traffic Signal Control System: Architecture, Algorithms and Analysis.” Transportation Research. Part C: Emerging Technologies Vol. 9 No: 6.

Roads and Traffic Authority. (2004). SCATS 6.4.1 Operating Instructions.

Robertson, G.D. (1987). “Handling congestion with SCOOT.” Traffic Engineering & Control Vol. 28, No.4, Printerhall Limited, London, U.K., 228- 230.

Shelby, S. G., Bullock, D., and Gettman, D. (2005). Resonant Cycles in Traffic Signal Control. Preprint CD-ROM of 84th TRB Annual Meeting. TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C.

Siemens Traffic Controls Ltd. (2003). SCOOT User Guide. Version 4.2.

Stevanovic A.Z., Martin P.T. (2007) "SCOOT and Coordinated Actuated Traffic Control Evaluated through Microsimulation". Presented at 87th TRB Annual Meeting and recommended for publication in TRR, Journal of the Transportation Research Board.

Topic Panel

Kevin Balke, Texas A&M University

Kevin Fehon, DKS Associates

Edward L. Fischer, Oregon DOT

Arif Kazmi, P.E., Arizona DOT

W. Leslie Kelman, Les Kelman & Associates

Gary Piotrowicz, Oakland County (MI) Roads Commission

Bill J. Shao, City of Los Angeles DOT

Bob Snyder, Maryland State Highway Administration

Robert Williams, Miami-Dade County

Eddie Curtis, Federal Highway Administration

Richard A. Cunard, Transportation Research Board

Consultant

Aleksandar Stevanovic, Florida Atlantic University

TRB Staff

Gail R. Staba

phone              202/536-5658

email                gstaba@nas.edu